Red Bulls still being powered by the 'Red Wedding' May game vs. NYCFC

HANOVER, N.J – The New York Red Bulls have essentially wrapped up their second straight Eastern Conference title, their third conference title in four years and the fourth such banner to hang from their rafters since opening Red Bull Arena in 2010. And to think that this year’s conference title might come down to a moment earlier in the season.

A moment forever known as the ‘Red Wedding.’

Rewind back to May 22 and the Red Bulls went limping into a match at Yankee Stadium against New York City FC. The Red Bulls were off to a slow start in their defense of the Supporters Shield but put all notions of a title hangover to rest with an emphatic 7-0 win over their newest of rivals.

Now heading into Sunday and what MLS declares as ‘Decision Day,’ the Red Bulls have a +13 goal differential over second place City. So even a loss on Sunday and an NYC FC win wouldn’t be enough to give their rivals the Eastern Conference. It’d have to be done with an improbable 14 goal swing.

So, yea, that ain’t happening. But that singular 7-0 win goes a long way towards giving the Red Bulls the conference title.

“Right now the difference between us winning the East and potentially not is the 7-0 game,” Red Bulls head coach Jesse Marsch said.

At the time Red Bull was minus-6 going into the derby game “and one of our goals was to get the goal differential above zero. To do it in one game is a big accomplishment.”

“It’s funny that here we are and that’s the difference but that obviously was a very big game for us,” Marsch said.